…Girlfriends Of Party Chieftains May likely Top List
Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Edo people under the aegis of the HSD Movement, also known as the Ofurumapepe Movement, have rejected the purported plan by the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo to appoint about 4,800 Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) and Special Assistants (SAs).
The position was reached at a meeting of the movement’s coordinators from across the state, where members described the proposed appointments as a wasteful expansion of government and raised concerns that taxpayers’ money could be diverted towards political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
Coordinator of the group, Comrade Emmanuel Ogbidi, who spoke on behalf of the members, expressed strong opposition to the purported plan, describing the proposed figure as excessive and difficult to justify at a time when governments are being urged to reduce the cost of governance.
According to Ogbidi, rather than committing public funds to what the movement considers an unnecessarily large number of political appointments, the administration should channel available resources towards critical areas such as infrastructure, job creation, youth empowerment and other sectors that directly improve the welfare of Edo residents.
The movement urged the state government to reconsider the plan and prioritise policies and programmes that would deliver tangible benefits to the people, stressing that public resources should be deployed responsibly and transparently.
Comrade Ogbidi alleged that the appointments were primarily designed for political mobilisation and compensation rather than to address clearly identified governance and developmental needs.
Ogbidi questioned the rationale behind the reported figure, asking: “Which offices will 4,800 political appointees occupy? What are their portfolios? Where will they function, and what exactly will they operate?”
According to him, political appointments should be strategic and purposeful, with appointees assigned specific responsibilities to provide technical support, policy advice and specialised assistance to government.
He expressed concern that the reported appointments could result in thousands of individuals holding government titles without clearly defined offices, portfolios or measurable responsibilities.
He also raised concerns about alleged political patronage in the appointment process.
He alleged that party loyalists, associates and, controversially, girlfriends of influential political parties chieftains could dominate the proposed list.
However, he maintained that the reported scale of the appointments made it necessary for the government to be transparent about the criteria for selecting beneficiaries, the portfolios attached to the positions and the remuneration involved.
The coordinator further warned that the state could end up with what he described as an “unaccountable political workforce” comprising individuals carrying official titles without clearly defined duties.
He maintained that political appointments should not be used as rewards for political loyalty or as instruments for electoral mobilisation.
He also questioned the financial implications of appointing 4,800 political aides.
He claimed that the appointments will cost the state close to N1 billion monthly, with the cumulative expenditure potentially rising to about N5 billion if the appointments and associated expenses continue through the period leading to the 2027 elections.
He argued that such resources could be deployed to projects and empowerment programmes capable of producing lasting benefits for Edo residents.
He pointed out that N5 billion could be used to empower more than 10,000 thousand women, provide vocational and entrepreneurship training for youths, train young people in solar-power installation and information technology, support innovation and address ecological and erosion challenges.
The money, he added, could also be used for road rehabilitation and other critical infrastructure projects across the state.
“N5 billion can do so much more in Edo State,” he said, urging the government to redirect public funds towards programmes with measurable and sustainable impact.
He averred that the proximity of the 2027 elections heightened concerns over the political motive behind the initiative.
He alleged further that the proposed appointments could be used to establish a broad political mobilisation structure for the APC across Edo State.
He, however, insisted that such appointments would not automatically translate into electoral support.
“Even if the Monday Okpebholo administration appoints everybody in Edo State, Edo people will vote against them in 2027 based on the quality of governance and their experience,” he said.
He urged residents to assess the administration based on its performance in areas such as employment, infrastructure, healthcare, education, economic empowerment and improved living standards.
He called on Governor Okpebholo to urgently review the reported proposal and subject it to a transparent assessment based on the state’s financial capacity, the implementation of the 2026 budget, and clearly identified governance priorities.
He stressed that he was not opposed to political appointments as a principle but rejected what he described as an excessive, uncoordinated , potentially unsustainable expansion of the political-appointee structure and high cost of governance.
He urged Edo residents to remain vigilant and scrutinise government expenditure and policies ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Public appointments should serve the people, not political interests. Edo needs development, jobs, infrastructure and sustainable empowerment, not thousands of political titles without clearly defined responsibilities,” he said.
